PLANE CRASHES TEN YARDS FROM HOUSE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 19, 15 September 1931, Page 3

PLANE CRASHES TEN YARDS FROM HOUSE

occupantst_ escape MONOPLANE COMPLETELY WRECKED BESIDE WHAKA ROAD lMISHAP TO CAPT. R. MONEY Trapped in an air pocket as he was taking off in his three-seater monoplane from the Rotorua "drome" late yesterday afternoon, Captain R. R. Money, of Hamilton, who had with him as passengers, Messrs. J. Fortune and W. G. Setchell, of Rotorua, crashed into the garden of a house occupied by Mr. L. F. Mansfield, on Whaka Road. The plane, which fell within ten yards of the house, was totally wrecked, but due to the fortunate fact that the machine was travelling very low| Captain Money and his two passengers, both escaped witliniit iniurv.

The crash as the machine struck the ground brought out Mrs. Mansfield and a visitor who was with her, in time to see the three occupants of the plane crawling out of the wreckage. Only Captain Money's presence of mind in the emergency prevented the machine from striking the corner of the house and a room in which a small child was asleep at the time. The tail of the plane struck a tree beside the house and the nose and propellor buried themselves in the soft dug ground of the garden. The tail planes were torn completely off and the undercarriage wrecked but fortunately the cabin and the pilot's seat did not crumple up.

Became Unmanageable Captain Money took off from the western run-way as the surface of the landing field along the usual take-off was very heavy. This shortened the length of the run and the machine had barely cleared the telephone wires beside the Whaka Road when it struck the pocket and became unmanageable. Captain Money succeeded in effecting' a half turn in order to avoid the house before the machine struck the ground. The wreckage and the crash quickly attracted a crowd of the curious and although the pilot and assistants immediately set about taking down the damaged parts, souvenir hunters in the shape'of an army of small boys nearly saved them the labour. When the wings of the machine had been lifted off, and the wrecked chassis was being carried out to the waiting lorry, the youngsters had a miniature Donnybrook fair over the possession of the splinters which were left. The plane which was a three-seater de Souttar monoplane, was privately owned by Captain Money.